Africa-Press – Uganda. Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) president Patrick Amuriat has accused Karamoja’s political leaders for failing their constituents, saying Members of Parliament from the region have remained silent as poverty, marginalisation and exploitation persist.
Addressing a charged crowd at the FDC regional assembly in Moroto on June 9, 2025, Amuriat said the region’s real crisis is not poverty but ineffective leadership.
“Karamoja’s biggest problem is not poverty—it is leadership,” Amuriat said. “Once elected, your leaders buy big blankets so they can sleep comfortably in Parliament. They don’t talk, and you remain in poverty.”
He listed a number of challenges facing Karamoja, including impassable roads, recurring droughts that force seasonal migration, mineral exploitation, and extreme poverty.
But he said the region’s MPs had failed to speak out or take action.
“In 40 years of NRM leadership, Karamoja has been deliberately marginalised. Even the only tarmac road to Soroti and Kampala is now full of potholes. Karamoja got a raw deal,” Amuriat added.
Karamoja, located in northeastern Uganda, remains one of the poorest and least developed regions in the country.
Many communities still rely on pastoralism and subsistence farming, and the area regularly grapples with food insecurity, poor infrastructure and limited access to social services.
However, in recent years, the region has seen increased government and private sector interest due to the discovery and exploration of valuable minerals including gold and rare earths.
This interest has sparked new investments in infrastructure and energy, and some developmental projects are underway.
But critics argue that the benefits have largely bypassed local communities, fuelling grievances over land rights, displacement, and lack of representation.
FDC Secretary General Nandala Mafabi, who is also eyeing the presidency in 2026, echoed Amuriat’s sentiments, accusing Karamoja’s elected officials of abandoning their communities.
“It’s me and Amuriat who have been speaking for Karamoja,” Mafabi said.
“We raised the issue of the terrible roads until the government was forced to bring tarmac. Your own MPs were silent.”
Mafabi urged residents to reject leaders who “disappear” after elections and instead vote for representatives who would speak up in Parliament and champion the region’s needs.
The Moroto assembly also marked a political turning point for the FDC in the region, as two prominent figures defected from rival parties to join the opposition.
Zainab Angella, formerly of the National Unity Platform (NUP), declared her intention to contest for the Moroto Municipality MP seat.
Hellen Kiyayi, who defected from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), announced her bid for Moroto District Woman MP. Both will contest on the FDC ticket.
Their announcements were met with jubilation from party supporters, with FDC leaders hailing the defections as signs of growing political momentum in the region.
With the 2026 general elections looming, Amuriat and Mafabi pledged to step up their mobilisation across Karamoja, promising not just symbolic representation but active advocacy for communities long left behind.
“The time for silence is over,” Amuriat concluded. “Karamoja must rise and demand what it truly deserves.”
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
